A Holy Charge (10)

 

“Encourage the fainthearted” (1 Thess. 5:14).

 

One of the great joys in life is encouraging others, in giving others hope, in helping them see Jesus, the One who loves them so very much, in affirming them in Christ, and affirming Christ in them – He is our hope of glory and our source of encouragement.

 

The Thessalonians “received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,” and in doing so they “became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” They were following the way of Jesus and the way of the apostles by obedience in the midst of suffering (1 Thess. 1:6 – 7). Whoever the fainthearted were, there was something within them that caused them not to run from Jesus in persecution, but rather to come to Him and follow Him.

 

The writer of Hebrews encourages the recipients of his letter by focusing on Jesus, their Great High Priest, from beginning to end Hebrews is about “looking unto Jesus.” Hebrews has a point-counterpoint of warning and encouragement, encouragement and warning; the next time you read Hebrews you might look for this pattern and perhaps make notes of it.

 

“For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1 – 3).  Aren’t we always to be considering Jesus?

 

There is suffering and persecution and pressure in following Jesus, as Paul wrote, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). Persecution and pressure can take many forms, some overt, others covert, obedience to Jesus comes with a price; in Jesus we can learn to pay the price for Him joyfully, just as He paid the price for us joyfully (Heb. 12:2).

 

The writer of Hebrews encourages his readers/listeners by bringing them into the fellowship of the courageous and suffering saints (Chapter 11) and then into the courageous and suffering Jesus (12:1-3), which is a circling back over all which preceded Chapter 11 – the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. (Chapters 1 – 10 portray Jesus, Chapter 11 the saints following Jesus, Chapter 12 brings us back to Jesus.)

 

The recipients of the letter we call “Hebrews” received the Gospel as did the Thessalonians, amid persecution:

 

“Remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one” (Hebrews 10:32 – 34).

 

Considering our worship of “property,” how likely is it that we would (and do) emulate the Hebrews? Do we really believe that we have “a better possession and a lasting one”?

 

How can we encourage others?

 

While we are to speak words of encouragement, do our words matter if our lives are not faithful to Christ? That is, do our words matter if our actions do not reflect them, giving credibility to them? Furthermore, are we willing to be used by God in our own sufferings to encourage others? Are we living sacrificial lives unto Jesus Christ on behalf of others? (This goes back to the servant-leadership we previously considered.)

 

Consider Paul’s perspective on imprisonment:

 

“Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear” (Phil. 1:12 – 14).

 

Consider Paul’s perspective on suffering:

 

“The God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God…but if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation…” (2 Cor. 1:3 – 11).

 

It is important that we are obedient to Jesus so that others may be encouraged. Our obedience is never just about ourselves, it is that Jesus might be glorified and that others may be encouraged in Him. Obedience is vertical and horizontal, it is towards God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; it is also on behalf of others and is to be a testimony of Jesus Christ to others. What people see from us should be what they hear from us, our words and our deeds are to be grounded in Christ – He is the Vine and we are the branches. The Incarnation continues in us, both as individuals and as His People.

 

It takes courage to live in Jesus, to follow Him, to share Him with others, and to live in community with one another. Living in the Light and the Truth takes courage, obedience in a world of rebellion takes courage, fidelity to Jesus in a promiscuous “Christian” religious world takes courage. It requires courage to live differently and speak differently than the world around us, than much of the professing church around us. The Christ of the Cross and the Cross of Christ is an offense, an offense that brings us to the end our ourselves if we will follow Him.

 

Can we hear the words of the LORD to Joshua?

 

“Be strong and courageous…be strong and very courageous” (Johsua 1:6 – 7)?

 

To encourage the fainthearted means that we must be courageous ourselves – are we? Are we living lives of courage?

 

Do our children and grandchildren see courage in us?

 

Our spouses?

 

Our friends?

 

Our brothers and sisters in Christ?

 

Is the courage of Jesus Christ living in us and through us?

 

The Lord willing, we’ll return to this in the next reflection in this series.